With the appointment of a National Discipline Development Officer, and the publication of figures which show a rise in reported incidents of violence against teachers, discipline is certainly in the news just now.

The Director of both the Ethos Network and the Anti Bullying Network, Professor Pamela Munn, is leading a team researching the implementation of some key recommendations from the Discipline Task Group. She says, “The research includes an overview of local authority policies, priorities and spending, which will be led by Professor John Fairley, University of Strathclyde. This will be followed by in-depth research in three contrasting local authorities, involving officials, teachers, parents and additional staff employed as a result of Discipline Task Group recommendations. A further strand of the work will be a survey of primary and secondary teachers and headteachers about indiscipline in schools.”

Over the next twelve months, the Ethos Network and the Anti-Bullying Network will be placing a special focus on work to promote a more positive approach to tackling indiscipline and bullying in schools and to provide support to staff members who are faced with such problems in classrooms or playgrounds. We are especially keen to hear from both primary and secondary schools who are willing to share their successes and failures with others by contributing a newsletter article, a case study or a conference workshop. Please contact Kate Betney at the ABN/SSEN. Telephone: 0131 651 6100 or email.
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How can young people be encouraged to express their collective voice and to become involved in real decision making in schools?

Trond Waage, the Norwegian Ombudsman for Children, demands real power and full rights for children, with drastic changes at the local and national level.

Pupils from St Ninian’s High School in Giffnock use drama to express their views and to highlight the pressure ‘to have’ (eg the latest mobile phone) in order to belong.

Elizabeth Doherty, HT at St Columba’s High School in Gourock, says that encouraging pupils to become more actively involved in developing their rights and responsibilities has had a positive impact not only on the pupils directly involved but also on the school as a whole.

These were just some of the highlights from an ABN/SSEN conference organised in partnership with Stirling Council last December.